New Delhi. Enforcement Directorate has questioned Congress president Sonia Gandhi for over three hours yesterday in the National Herald newspaper linked money laundering case. Mrs Gandhi appeared before the ED for the third round of questioning yesterday. The ED is investigating alleged financial irregularities at Congress-promoted Young Indian Private Limited, which owns the National Herald.
Congress MPs held a protest march from Parliament House to Vijay Chowk against the questioning of the party President.
BJP President JP Nadda has criticized Congress for its protest against ED questioning of Sonia Gandhi. Talking to reporters outside the Parliament, Mr. Nadda alleged that Congress protests are not a ‘Satyagraha’, but an attempt to hide the truth. He said, Congress leaders are protesting to protect a family, not the country. Mr. Nadda said, Gandhi family is required to answer the investigation agencies in a corruption case, but they think they are above the law.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur also questioned the Congress for its protest saying that why they are fearing, if they have not done anything wrong. He wondered whether Gandhi family is above the law.
Meanwhile, Supreme Court has upheld ED’s powers of inquiry, arrest and attachment of property under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The Apex Court said that it is not mandatory for ED officers to disclose the ground of arrest at the time of detaining an accused in money laundering case. A bench comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari and CT Ravikumar also upheld twin conditions for bail under PMLA. The Supreme Court said, under the stringent PMLA law, the power of arrest, granting bail and seizure of property are all outside the ambit of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
